This story is part of Worthington Pulse's coverage of the September 15 Worthington Libraries Board of Trustees meeting. Start with the September 16 meeting recap.
Worthington Libraries has signed a contract with a design firm to begin its comprehensive facilities plan, a multi-phase effort to renovate and improve all three branches. Residents will have several chances this fall to say what they want from their libraries. The library and the architects will meet weekly to map the process "from now until completion", said director Lauren Robinson.
What the plan covers
The comprehensive facilities plan follows a facilities review the library completed in 2025, and carries out a goal in the library's 2024-2029 strategic plan to revitalize its indoor and outdoor spaces and make them more attractive and inviting. It is expected to address the Old Worthington, Northwest and Worthington Park branches in three or more phases, based on the design services the library solicited earlier this year. The selected firm was chosen through a request-for-qualifications process; the library has not yet publicly named it. The library's 2026 budget frames the near-term goals as designing major improvements at all three branches, addressing the mechanical and building-system concerns the 2025 assessment identified, and adding study space, including small study pods at each location.
How residents can weigh in
Much of the discussion focused on gathering community input. The library has scheduled two stakeholder meetings: one on October 22, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and another on October 23, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Both are by invitation, and trustees who plan to attend were asked to note which one, because a quorum of board members at either session would require it to be posted as a special board meeting.
Beyond the invited sessions, the library plans several days of open community engagement. Robinson said staff and architects hope to set up a booth at the farmers market so the architects "can engage with the community and really hear what they want out of the library", and to be present at the Halloween event on the green. Staff also intend to ask patrons already inside the branches what they like, what they don't, and what they would like to see.
The financial picture
The plan will begin drawing on library reserves in the coming months. Chief Financial Officer Jeremie Stevens told the board that October is a three-payroll month and that architect bills will start arriving, so the library expects to make withdrawals from its building fund and investment earnings as the work begins. The library has set aside about $764,000 in its building fund for 2026 for work on the buildings themselves, such as heating and cooling systems and parking lots, plus roughly $331,000 for furniture and equipment including the new study pods.
Paying for the full plan will take more than the library's current reserves. The library has said it expects to ask Worthington voters for additional funding, possibly through a property-tax levy as soon as 2027.
This story comes from the September 16 Worthington Libraries Board meeting recap.